


Distance

by Demerite



Series: Trektober 2019 [22]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-29 00:43:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21145937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demerite/pseuds/Demerite
Summary: “I hate this so much.” Ash admits, a short while later.In front of him, the holographic form of Chris Pike sighs. “I know.” He says. Then, quietly, “I do too.”





	Distance

**Author's Note:**

> For the Day 23 Prompt: Long Distance Relationship. 
> 
> Remember that AU where Ash is Chris' Cheif-of-Security on the Enterprise? This is how that happened.

“Long day, Boss?” T’Lassa asks, dropping into the seat opposite Ash in the Mess.

Ash looks up at his second-in-command and glares, but she’s unperturbed by his bad mood. It’s part of the reason he likes her as much as he does, and why they work to well together; T’Lassa is impossible to faze.

“Hmmm.” He mumbles instead, returning his gaze to his cup of coffee, which he’s been staring into and not drinking for the last ten minutes. It’s gone most of the way to cold by now.

It _has _been a long day. A long week. A long couple of months, if he’s honest. Working through what’s left of Section 31 - and after Control there hadn’t been much - piecing together the bits that are worth keeping and trying, day after day, to build something good. It’s thankless work, even if they are starting to finally see results. It’s nothing like it was before; their network is small and spread thin, but at least this time Ash know that at its core, Section 31 is made up of good people, doing difficult work.

“You need to see that man of yours.” T’Lassa informs him, utterly fearless, and utterly without regard for who could overhear. Her blunt manner of speaking is another reason Ash values her as his second. Generally. Except when she’s using it to bother him about his relationship.

He gives her his best ‘fuck you’ glare, and she laughs at him. It’s never worked on her, and Ash doesn’t really mind. He’s had enough of people being afraid of him to last a lifetime.

“I’m serious!” T’Lassa brandishes her cup of tea at him, “I know they say that absence makes the heart grow-”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Ash growls at her.

She snorts. “I’m just saying-”

“Well don’t.” He snaps. Just because she’s right, doesn’t mean she needs to say it in his face.

“Ugh, you’re cranky when you haven’t gotten any in nearly a year.” Her grin is wide, her dark eyes sparkling with barely contained mirth.

_“T’Lassa.” _

“Okay fine, I’ll shut up. Here.” She holds out a PADD to him.

Ash takes it on reflex. It’s probably more paperwork that needs his oversight. “What’s this?”

“It’s a PADD.”

“I can see that. What's on it, and why are you giving it to me?” HE looks down at the screen, taking in the lines of text on it, and goes still.

Dimly he hears T’Lassa say, “It’s a maintenance schedule. The _Enterprise _will be in spacedock for a refit for the next twelve weeks. You can thank me later.” But he’s too focused on the information in front of him, already mentally calculating distances and times and thinking up what sort of excuse he can come up with to redirect them to spacedock for a little bit, because this is the best news he’s got in months.

~*~

“I hate this so much.” Ash admits, a short while later. He’s settled in his quarters, the doors locked with his personal override code that only the CMO, or someone with a very powerful laser cutter and a lot of time of their hands, can get through.

In front of him, the holographic form of Chris Pike sighs. “I know.” He says. Then, quietly, “I do too.”

When they’d started…however they’re defining - or not defining - their relationship, Ash had known it would be difficult. He’d known there would be long periods of time where they wouldn’t see each other at all. Times when they wouldn’t be able to even talk, or send messages. He’d known there was a chance the _Enterprise _would be sent on another five-year mission. He’d known the risks. So had Chris. They’d done it anyway. Ash doesn’t regret it, but there are times, _a lot _of times, when he just wants to be able to hold Chris, to touch him, to kiss him. At this point, he’d settle for being able to sleep next to him for a night, it doesn’t even have to be about the sex. After nearly a year of time apart and missing each other by days, or even hours, even that would be enough.

“How long until the refit is finished?” Ash asks instead. He already knows. He’s had a countdown running in the back of his head since T’Lassa handed him the PADD. “I”m gonna be there before you leave, I promise.” He’ll move a whole lot more than heaven and earth to get there on time.

“Twelve weeks, three days.”

“I’m gonna see you, I promise.” Ash tells him. It’s a promise they’ve made each other more than once this past year.

~*~

They miss each other by eight hours.

When Ash realises, he has to exert all of his strength not to react, standing on the Bridge as he is. He can sense T’Lassa’s gaze one him as he takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders, and gives the order continue with their planned flight course, when what he really wants to do is to divert and go running after the _Enterprise _as fast as their ship can go.

He hands the conn to T’Lassa the moment he can get away with it, goes into his Ready Room, seals the door behind him, and very determinedly _does not have a small breakdown. _

Then, he sends Chris a message to work out when they’ll cross paths again.

The news that it will be in another two months and two days nearly breaks him, but it comes coupled with Chris telling him he’s taking a month of leave then - mandatory, because he hasn’t taken enough - and that strengthens Ash’s resolve for what he knows he needs to do.

~*~  
Two Months, Four Days Later

It’s late when Ash gets in. The apartment, which is still a little musty from being unoccupied for so long, is dim and quiet. Chris must already be in bed.

All the better for Ash to slip quietly inside and stash the bag he’s brought with him somewhere out of sight. He wants to able to tell Chris what he’s decided to do on his own terms, and seeing Ash come in with a bag that holds all of his personal possession will definitely alert Chris to something being up.

So he tucks the bag out of sight in a cupboard, leaves his boots by the front door, and his jacket - sans insignia - thrown over the back of the couch, and wanders into the bedroom.

Chris is still awake, PADDs spread out around him on the bed despite the fact that he’s supposed to be on leave. He looks up and smiles when he sees Ash come in, all warm and tired and Ash feels a few of his nerves dissipate at the sight of him.

The smile turns to concern as Ash collapses onto the bed, uncaring about where he lands.

“I quit.” Ash announces, facedown against a pillow.

“Bad day, huh?” Chris asks. One hand drags through Ash’s hair, freeing it from its short ponytail, nails scratching gently.

“Unimaginable.” Ash grumbles, already feeling sleepy. He can tell Chris about his decision properly in the morning, “Do that again.”

The next morning, Ash wakes up to the sound of Chris stumbling around their bedroom, and for a moment, he has to just sit there in bed and try not to laugh. Chris is…not good at mornings. At least not before coffee and a shower.

“How do you get anything done when I’m not here to supply you with coffee?” He teases when Chris nearly trips over thing air.

Chris makes a face that challenges Ash to ask that for real, and Ash laughs softly.

“Will you come back to bed?” He asks.

“Don’t have you have meetings this morning.” Chris takes a couple of steps towards the bed, but stops short of where Ash wants him.

“I told you, I quit. Now come back to bed.” Ash repeats firmly. “I don’t have anywhere to be today, and I neither do you. I haven’t seen you in _months, _and I fully intend to only leave this bed if absolutely necessary.”

“Wait, you _quit _Section 31?” Chris’ voice rises with alarm. He runs a hand through his hair, agitated, “I thought you were kidding last night.”

Ash shakes his head, “Nope. I quit.” He explains, “They’ll get by without me, T’Lassa knows what she’s doing. I trust her, and I trust what we built there.”

“What will you do now?” Chris asks, but he moves the rest of the way across the room, and settles back onto the mattress, so Ash doesn’t mind the questioning.

“I don’t know.” He admits, leaning on Chris’ broad chest, “I’ll work something out.”

Chris leans in to kiss him, and Ash loses himself in the slow, easy slide of their mouths, nothing like the frantic rush of the last two days, but still just as wonderful.

“Come with me.” Chris says, when he pulls back a little way.

“Okay.” Ash mumbles, resting his forehead against Chris’ while he gets his breath back.

Chris laughs, “I haven’t even said where yet.”

“I don’t care.” Ash replies, leaning in for another kiss. _I’ll go anywhere with you. _

**Author's Note:**

> Want to know more about Trektober? Click [HERE](https://aishahiwatari.tumblr.com/post/188059640163/trektober) for the info post on Aisha's tumblr, or [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Trektober2019) for the AO3 collection to read our fic. 
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr](https://demerite.tumblr.com/)!


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